Joe Schmidt's coaching future is in the spotlight again but Brian O'Driscoll is confident that the New Zealander will stay in charge of Ireland beyond his current contract.

Schmidt has a contract that goes through the 2019 Rugby World Cup after years of success that have delivered a Grand Slam and Six Nations crowns.

"I think he's going to stay," he told Ger Gilroy and Dave McIntyre on Friday's Off The Ball.

In a hypothetical situation where Schmidt has signed a new deal but Ireland have failed to cross the World Cup quarter final barrier once again in 2019, we put that to BOD.

"I think he's not going to walk and he won't be pushed," he said.

"But it will be painful for everyone. Because the players will tell you they want him as long he wants to be there because of the results, because of the manner in which they train, the excitement, the preparation. Everything that goes with it. They feel that they've got a fighting chance everytime they take the field."

O'Driscoll however believes that Ireland won't lose in the quarter-finals at the next World Cup and also pointed out that Schmidt and his family are very settled in this country.

"But if he goes to New Zealand, which is the other job that he says he doesn't want - he said that to me before - but if he goes back to New Zealand and you're going to imagine he'd then want the All Black job, you don't get the credit you get in Ireland in New Zealand for the job you've done when you win," he said.

"It's not even, 'Well done', it's 'That was expected'. Here, if you got us to a semi final, we will go bananas. A semi final, the country will accept that, no problem. Whatever after that is an absolute bonus. A semi final is expected but once we achieve it too, it will be Knight Sir Joe. We'll be all over it. Freedom of the country."

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